The present invention relates to reinforced composite shapes comprising reinforcement elements, reinforcement fibers, and resin, and to a method and apparatus for manufacturing the reinforced composite shapes.
It relates more particularly to reinforced composite shapes comprising steel rods as reinforcement elements. The steel rods are straightened, aligned and oriented before being introduced into a mold for forming the reinforced composite shapes.
Reinforced composite shapes are conventionally manufactured by impregnating reinforcement fibers with a resin in a bath or by injecting resin into a mold. The composite shapes are then formed in a mold by shaping and polymerizing the impregnated fibers. For example, in the pultrusion process, reinforced composite shapes are manufactured in continuous lengths by pulling resin impregnated reinforcement materials through a forming and curing die, known as a pultrusion mold.
Background pultrusion-type processes are disclosed in EP-A-274,707, JP-A-1-166,936, and FR-A-2,558,102, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference.
Prior art composite shapes, however, are not suitable for structural applications that require a high modulus of elasticity and stress intensity factor. For example, it has been found that prior art composites cannot be used to replace steel pillars, beams, etc., because typically the known composites have a lower modulus of elasticity and stress intensity factor than the steel pillars, beams, etc., that they would replace.